Best Fantasy Authors (Vanity)

5/15/03 | bondserv

[bondserv]

Who are some of your favorite Fantasy authors, and their best books. I am looking for authors that might write in a similar style as some on my list.

My list:

Tolkien - Rings Series

Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Series

Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time Series

Terry Brooks - Shanara Series

Terry Goodkind - Sword of truth Series

Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame Series

David Eddings - Belgariad/Malloreon/Elenium/Tamuli

L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - The Saga of Recluce Series

Robin Hobb - Farseer Series

Tad Williams - Dragonbone Chair

[hedgetrimmer]

Prolific writer, "father" of some of the fantasy writers listed here. Thieves World was fun to read.

[hedgetrimmer]

I have to say all writers listed are favorites.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

Donaldson *S@CKED* with a capital 'S'. If I had to read "Leper...outcast, unclean!" one more time I was going to hurl. Donaldson's was the worst thing I've ever read, and the next biggest Tolkien rip-off to the Shanarra stuff by Brooks, in my opinion, though I at least enjoyed the Shanarra books. I barely made it through the first three Donaldson books and couldn't make it past the first of his second series. God those books were awful.

One you didn't mention, that was fantastic, were the first six "Dragonlance" books by Weiss & Hickman. Everything else they've written is utter crap, in my opinion, but those first six books were outstanding. For a series based on Dungeons and Dragons modules, it actually was fantastic.

Michael Moorcock's "Elric" series is the best thing written next to Tolkien.

[bondserv]

I am reading "The Pillars of Creation" now, half way through.

[bondserv]

If anyone can fill in book names to the list please do.

New list thanks to by hedgetrimmer et al:

Tolkien - Rings Series
Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Series
Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time Series
Terry Brooks - Shannara Series
Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth Series
Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame Series
David Eddings - Belgariad/Malloreon/Elenium/Tamuli
L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - The Saga of Recluce Series
Robin Hobb - Farseer Series
Tad Williams - Dragonbone Chair

Others additions:

CS Lewis - Narnia Series
Robert J. Silverberg - "Lord Valentine's Castle".
Gene Wolfe - The Book of the New Sun series /Shadow and Claw
James Halperin - The Truth Machine
Howard - Conan: The Barbarian series
Jordan - Conan: The Barbarian series
Steven Brust - "Dragaera"
Hickman/Weiss - Star of the Guardians, Dragonlance
Asimov - Early Foundation series
Piers Anthony - Xanth Series
Greg Bear - Songs of Earth and Power
Terry Pratchett - Discworld Series
Mervyn Peake - the Gormenghast trilogy.
Iain Banks -Walking on Glass and The Bridge
Hannes Bok - The Sorcerer's Ship and Beyond the Golden Stair
Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood and Lavondyss
Christopher Stasheff - King Kobold
Lois McMaster Bujold - the Spirit Ring, Curse of Chalion
A.E. Van Vogt - The Weapon Shops of Isher
Jack Chalker - Well of souls
David Drake - Hammer's Slammers
Stafshee's - "Her Majesty's Wizard"
Heinlein's - "Farnam's Freehold"
Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker Series
Philip Jose Farmer - Riverworld
Michael Moorcock - Eternal Champion, Elric Series
Tom Reamy - Blind Voices
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern
George R.R. Martin - Song of Ice & Fire
Rick Cooks - Wiz series
Frank Herberts - Dune
Orson Scot Card - Alvin Maker series
Richard S. Tuttle - Targa Trilogy / Sword of Heavens / Forgotten Legacy
Katherine Kurtz - Chronicles of the Deryni
Barry Sadler - Casca: The Eternal Mercenary
David Drake - Hammers Slammers
Ursula K. LeGuin
Roger Zelazny
Poul Anderson
Anson Guthrie
Manse Everard
Harry Turtledove
Gordon R. Dickson
Holdstock
Banks
Tanith Lee
Lovecraft
Ed Greenwood
Jeff Grubb
C.J. Cherryh
Leo Frankowski
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Fred Saberhagen
Unknown - Dorsai
George MacDonald
Robert Asprin
Frank Stockton
Frank L. Baum
Ray Bradbury
Guy de Maupassant
E R Eddison
John C Gardner
FRITZ LEIBER!
Saki (H H Munro)
Fitz-James O'Brien
Bram Stoker
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Theodore Sturgeon
T H White
Oscar Wilde

[bondserv]

I will check for Fritz' books. I believe someone else a few years back recommended him to me as well.

[KneelBeforeZod]

I choose my fantasy books by trifecta. Must have girl in skimpy clothes and a guy holding a gun AND a sword.

[Swordmaker]

Terry Brooks is a terrible writer... the first book lacked any complex sentences. Boring.

[bondserv]

Ha,

That series seems to emit that type of a response from certain people.

Thanks for your input.

[Swordmaker]

I nominate Robert Anson Heinlein for Glory Road, Waldo and Magic, Inc.

[T Minus Four]

Incantations of Immortality

I was going to say that too, one of my favorite fantasy series, although actually it is Incarnations, not Incantations.

[Wombat101]

In no particular order:

JRR Tolkien
Jules Verne
R.A. Salvatore (Drizz't series is classic!)
Bernard Cornwell (King Arthur Series, not the Sharpe series)
Dante (At least I consider The Inferno to be fantasy)
H.G. Wells

I know,opinions are like rectums, but you asked...Hope you like my choices!

[bondserv]

For writing ability on my original list I would rank them:

Tolkien
Stephen Donaldson
Robert Jordan
Terry Goodkind
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
David Eddings
Robin Hobb
Tad Williams
Joel Rosenberg
Terry Brooks/Brothers Hildebrand

HeHe.

[Swordmaker]

Saberhagen for the Dracula Series: An Old Friend of the Family, Thorn, The Dacula Tapes, Dominion, The Holmes-Dracula File, A Sharpness on the Neck, A Matter of Taste, Seance for a Vampire, and A Question of Time.

[Swordmaker]

Read Heinlein's "Farnam's Freehold" and that "Japs invade America" book, something about "Mota."

That was "Sixth Column" in which the PanAsian Union invaded and conquered the US... and six survivors of a secret military laboratory invent an underground resistance masquerading as a new religion... of the Great God Mota in his six Avatars... utilizing a new super technology that's discovery killed everyone at the lab except the six.

[Swordmaker]

Unknown - Dorsai

Gordon Dickson - Dorsai series - Actually called The Childe Cycle

[Swordmaker]

Frank L. Baum That's "L. Frank Baum"

[Tahoe4x4]

Here'e a few of my favorites--

Spider Robinson: Callahans Crosstime Saloon series

Harry Harrison: The Stainless Steel Rat series

Stephen King: Darktower/Gunslinger series

[Swordmaker]

James H. Schmitz - The Witches of Karres

And the all time great Space Opera writer...

Edward E. Smith - Skylark and Lensman series.

[Swordmaker]

L. Neil Smith - The Probability Broach series.

J. Neil Schulman (Freeper!) - Alongside Night and Rainbow Cadenza

Oh, and

Robert A. Heinlein - Beyond This Horizon

Great Libertarian based Sci-Fi Fantasy.